The Family Court Accountability Coalition engages in Judicial, Legislative and Executive Branch advocacy on behalf of socioeconomically disadvantaged family court stakeholders. According to the Judicial Council of California, 75 percent of family court litigants are self-represented because they cannot afford an attorney. Yet many courts cater to attorneys and the parties they are paid to represent, while denying the indigent meaningful and effective access to family court services.

Monday, October 26, 2015

The Commission on Judicial Performance and Director Victoria B. Henley have long been criticized for excessive secrecy when investigating allegations of judge misconduct in California.

A Central Valley political science professor has published an editorial criticizing the state Commission on Judicial Performance for conducting secretive, "under the radar" deliberations when it considers allegations of judge misconduct brought by the public. After he filed a complaint against a court commissioner - which was summarily dismissed by the CJP - Tamir Sukkary was surprised at what he learned about CJP procedures.

"[I] found out from my state senator's office that the CJP's meetings are neither open to the public, nor subject to the California Public Records Act, Brown Act or Freedom of Information Act," Sukkary wrote. "Not even the CJP clerical staff is allowed to attend during deliberations. Why is the commission operating in such a secretive fashion? Isn't the commission supposed to be serving the public?"